STAND. COM. REP. NO.2872

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: H.B. No. 2496

H.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health and Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 2496, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILD CARE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purposes of this measure are to amend chapter 346, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to clarify that a person who provides care for two or fewer unrelated children is exempt from child care licensing and registration statutes, and to allow the Department of Human Services (DHS) to investigate possible violations of child care law.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from DHS.

Your Committee finds that the amendments contained in this measure will reinstate prior law, inadvertently repealed two years ago, to the effect that a person who cares for two or fewer unrelated children is exempt from child care licensing and registration laws.

In addition, this measure gives DHS the tools necessary to effectively investigate complaints of illegal child care practices. Under existing law, DHS lacks the authority to investigate complaints taking place outside of a licensed child care facility.

Your Committee finds that complaints of violations of the State's child care laws deserve all the resources the State can muster, and therefore fully supports this important measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health and Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2496, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health and Human Services,

____________________________

DAVID MATSUURA, Chair